Kitchen renovation: new fronts or a new kitchen?

1. Choose a refresh, replacement or changed layout

A refresh may concern fronts, handles or surfaces. Replacement may also include cabinets, a worktop and appliances. A changed layout may introduce work on the room and services. Write down the chosen approach as the starting point for every quote.

Bolius describes options for renewing an existing kitchen. Use that as inspiration for defining scope, not proof that your kitchen can be reused or that a particular saving is achievable.

2. Have the parts you want to keep assessed

Ask the supplier or tradesperson to assess cabinets, hinges, drawers and plinths. Record the make or system if known and photograph the relevant parts. A front that looks similar is not proof of compatibility.

Clarify who checks fit and condition before ordering. Ask for a separate option if the existing parts cannot be used. Avoid approving an order based only on provisional measurements.

3. Collect measurements and planning information

IKEA highlights correct measurements and the positions of walls, ceiling height, obstructions, water, drainage and electrical points in kitchen planning. Follow the supplier’s measuring requirements for the actual system.

Label your own measurements as provisional until checked by the responsible person. Agree who measures for the final order and any cut-outs. A room scan does not replace that agreement.

4. Ask for clear quote items

• Supply: product, quantity and specification, including any alternatives.
• Work: removal, preparation, adjustment and installation where relevant.
• Other arrangements: delivery, access, protection, cleanup and waste.
• Price terms: currency, VAT, payment, assumptions and approval of extra work.

Identify who supplies and carries out each item. This helps reveal when two totals cover different jobs. A lower total does not automatically represent the same work.

5. Clarify services and unresolved conditions

Record whether the sink, drainage, appliances and electrical points will stay in place. Ask the relevant business to clarify the work and any requirements before ordering. The Danish Safety Technology Authority distinguishes electrical work allowed without authorisation from work requiring an authorised business.

Record known damage and matters requiring a visit. A photograph or AI visualisation cannot establish hidden services, structural capacity or all conditions behind existing cabinets.

6. Compare quotes on the same basis

Send the same dated brief to the businesses you ask to quote. Obtain written answers to open questions. Separate fixed choices from options so that a different worktop is not mistaken for a price difference on identical work.

Forbrug.dk provides Danish guidance on agreements and quotes. Clarify scope, price basis, timing and changes before acceptance. An indicative budget differs from the tradesperson’s own quote.

7. Example of a defined brief

Illustrative brief, not a customer case: We want replacement fronts and handles if they fit the existing cabinets. Cabinets, flooring, sink position and appliances should initially stay. Price the worktop as a separate option.

Add your photos, checked measurements, desired finish and timing. Ask the business to describe fit checks, installation, cleanup and exclusions. This example states neither a price nor suitability for a particular kitchen.

8. Use Fixer to support planning

Use photos of the actual kitchen and clearly describe what you want to keep. Distinguish an AI visualisation from evidence of existing conditions. Check that the estimate’s scope describes the changes you actually want.

Fixer’s AI estimate is indicative. Ask the supplier or tradesperson to check the conditions and provide their own quote. Tap Media Group prepared this guide using the sources below; it is not a technical assessment of your kitchen.

9. Can one photo give a reliable kitchen renovation price?

A photo may help describe the job but cannot show every dimension, service or hidden condition. Clarify scope and materials, have relevant measurements checked, and ask the tradesperson for a specific quote. Fixer’s AI estimate is indicative.

10. Will replacement fronts always fit my old cabinets?

The actual supplier or tradesperson must check this. Identify the system, dimensions, hinges and condition before ordering. A similar appearance or an AI image does not confirm compatibility.

11. How do I compare new fronts with a whole new kitchen?

Describe them as separate options with clear supplies and exclusions. First compare prices within the same option. Then decide which differences in outcome, work and terms matter to you.